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From quick and easy made with basic pantry ingredients to Italian pastas that stick to tradition, this is the list of 45 of the best pasta recipes to make now.
Pasta Dinners, From Old-School Classics to Unique Creations
You guys all love pasta, and you keep asking for more. To make it easy to find more pasta recipes quick, I’ve created this reference post where you can find 45 of the best pasta recipes on FoodieCrush.
Pasta is probably in the top 5 list of the most versatile dishes to make for any level of home cook. It fits the bill when cooked for a crowd or potluck, and makes an easy family meal or simple dinner for two.
And with pasta, you’ll always have variety. It can be made creamy or saucy, vegetarian or with chicken, fish, meat and more. Cooking pasta can be an all day affair, a 5 minute homemade sauce, or store-bought in the jar, and taste amazing every time.
The 45 Pasta Dinner Ideas
Heidi’s Tip: What can I add to pasta for more flavor? The answer is simple: SALT! Once the cooking water comes to a boil and before adding the pasta, season the cooking water with a generous amount of salt, so it tastes salty like the sea. To avoid pitting pots, add the salt after the water has come to a boil. And kosher salt instead of table salt is best in my book.
1
My Mom’s Spaghetti and Meat Sauce Recipe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cathy commented: “I tried this recipe for your mom’s spaghetti sauce, and it was perfect ! I’m Italian and was taught many years ago how to make a good sauce. But over the busy years, it started not tasting so good, and it seemed okay to just buy a nice jar already prepared. But after reading your recipe which was very close to my mom’s, and being inspired to try again, now I’m hooked and loving it. Thank you for turning my “cooking” back on !!! This is a great recipe!”
2
One-Pot Ground Turkey Pasta Recipe
There's no tomato sauce in this Mexican-inspired ground turkey pasta! It's a fast and easy recipe that takes just 30 minutes to prepare.
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3
Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Peas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Charlie commented: “Great!!! I utilized an entire 19 oz. bundle of turkey. Additionally, I utilized a pound of child bella mushrooms. This was simple, beautiful, and the best part is that it tasted wonderful!"
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4
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
The simplicity in this creamy sauced spaghetti pasta is thanks to just 4 ingredients and a hearty dose of black pepper.
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5
Lemon Fettuccine Alfredo
Classic fettuccine alfredo gets a bright and herbaceous makeover, thanks to Meyer lemons and rosemary, in this super simple, wonderfully creamy pasta dish.
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6
Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil bring summertime flavors to a classic dinner of Shrimp Scampi Pasta.
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7
The BEST Homemade Hamburger Helper
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Marcy commented: “I was looking for something that the whole family would like, including out two picky boys aged 8 & 12, and this recipe hit the mark! I already had all these ingredients on hand so it was pretty easy to throw together. It was really yummy! We our definitely going to add this our rotation! Yummy!”
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8
Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ana commented: “The dish turned out so well! This was the first time I have ever made a tomato-based sauce from scratch. Infusing the olive oil with the herbs from the outset was pretty cool. Thank you for the recipe! It’s definitely a keeper.”
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9
Harvest Squash and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rachel commented: “I made this for dinner with friends. I was concerned that it was going to taste flat and one dimensional. I was wrong. I made it the night before so it was ready to go into the oven when I got home. I swapped out the zucchini for 8 oz of fresh spinach. I also left out the nutmeg as I find it overpowering. I would say the mozz is necessary. Definitely not light but great as a fall dinner.”
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10
One-Pot Mexican Shrimp with Orzo and Zucchini
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jennifer commented: “Made this tonight and it’s delicious! Filing in the permanent recipe binder. I barely deviated from the original recipe…only variations were that I didn’t measure the shallots and cilantro so there may have been a bit more in my version. The cinnamon seemed strange at first but it becomes a “mystery ingredient” at the end; you can tell there’s something interesting there but you can’t quite figure out what it is.”
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11
Linguine with Broccolini and Walnut Pesto
Tender broccolini’s bitter bite makes a flavorful pesto when paired with garlic, Parmesan cheese and toasted walnuts for a super easy smooth pasta sauce.
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12
Sausage and Cheese Baked Rigatoni
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ruth commented: “I love this recipe and have made it many times for my family. It has been my go to recipe for taking meals to families that just brought home a newborn. Add a nice a salad and garlic bread…perfect!”
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13
Vegetarian Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe
I’ve been making this easy vegetable lasagna for years! It’s layered with a smooth butternut squash puree, shiitake mushrooms, a creamy white sauce, and melty cheese to make an irresistible layered lasagna noodle you’ll love digging into.
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14
Easy Linguine with Clam Sauce (Linguine con Vongole)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Karen commented: “I made this Clam linguini for a crowd and it was a hit. So easy and yet so satisfying. I did use a can of baby clams and fewer fresh clams and added fresh basil. We will do this dish again.”
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15
Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss
This healthy turkey bolognese recipe has just a bit of balsamic vinegar added in to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. The sauce freezes well and can be used in a variety of different ways.
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16
One-Pot Skinny Pasta Primavera
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Zoe commented: “Wow! I’ve never cooked a Primavera like this before. It was amazing and is now a firm favourite amongst my friends, so thank you.”
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17
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo (or Stovetop)
This easy Instant Pot fettuccine alfredo recipe is a classic one-pot meal made even faster in the pressure cooker (or on the stove top) for a comfort food dinner that's ready in just 30 minutes or less.
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18
Pasta Pomodoro
Light and easy to make with fresh tomatoes, this simple Southern Italian tomato sauce takes just 20 minutes to make and is a terrific base for many Italian dishes.
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19
Chicken Piccata Pasta
The lemony white wine butter and caper sauce makes a light and snappy coating for linguine, tomatoes and mushrooms for a flavor burst in every bite.
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20
Pasta Puttanesca
This pasta puttanesca takes basic pantry staples and transforms them into a light but lush sauce over spaghetti or penne in mere minutes. It's an Italian classic made quickly and easily to become full-bodied and oh-so wonderful.
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21
Homemade Pesto Pasta Recipe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genelia commented: “Thank you for this share! I prepared this dish this past Monday night as a “going away meal” for my long weekend guests and we all loved it!! I even had stretched it out to a lb and a half of pasta and they still wanted more! Delicious, simple and fresh! I followed your recipe and because I needed extra pesto sauce and only had exactly a half of a cup of pine nuts, I stretched it with walnuts and it was perfect!”
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22
Penne Pasta with Marinara
Simple, homemade marinara sauce should truly be simple! Made with canned San Marzano tomatoes, this is a quick, 5-ingredient sauce deep with flavor that’s ready to serve in under an hour.
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23
5-Ingredient Cacio e Pepe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Luanne commented: “If you are a cheese & pasta lover, this dish is going to become a forever favorite. I have been dreaming of trying Cacio e Pepe since I watched “Dream Of Italy Season 1, Episode 2“ on Amazon Prime. The restaurant Da Enzo is famous for this & I’m determined to go there & try it some day. The dish was incredibly delicious & very easy to make. I’ve made it three times now and it just keeps getting better & better. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!”
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24
Short Ribs Fettuccine
Fall-off-the-bone, red wine braised short ribs and their lush sauce coat tendrils of fettuccine for a hearty comfort food dinner.
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25
The BEST Mushroom Risotto
A combination of dried mushrooms and fresh mushrooms are cooked then added to the rice as stock is slowly added and absorbed into the rice. Adding butter and Parmesan cheese at the end of cooking transforms into a creamy rice dish that doesn't actually call for any cream.
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26
The BEST Bolognese Sauce Recipe
The best ever bolognese sauce is slow simmered and made with both milk and wine to create a super tender meat sauce. Note that this recipe makes enough sauce to coat 1 to 1.5 pounds of pasta.
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27
Spaghetti and Meatballs
This is the easiest recipe for homemade spaghetti and meatballs. A 5-ingredient marinara sauce simmers while the meatballs bake, then everything is tossed together with spaghetti noodles.
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28
Sausage Baked Ziti
Golden and crusty on top and gooey in the middle, digging into this baked ziti reveals sumptuous layers of pasta, meat sauce, and cheese.
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29
Hamburger Stroganoff
This hamburger stroganoff has all of the savory flavors you love from beef stroganoff but is a lot faster and easier to make since it features ground beef.
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30
Fettuccine with Ham and Peas
This creamy fettuccine with ham, peas, and mushrooms is wonderfully savory, cheesy, and full of awesome flavor that comes together easily on the stovetop for a satisfying meal.
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31
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
This buffalo chicken pasta recipe combines the signature flavor of buffalo wings with pasta coated in a flavorful, creamy sauce for an easy dinner that's ready in just about 30 minutes.
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32
Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
This homemade mac and cheese recipe gets a healthy boost with chicken and broccoli added in to make a complete meal in each serving.
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33
Pasta alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
Pasta alla Norma is a classic, vegetarian Sicilian pasta dish with loads of flavor. I make it with my easy homemade marinara sauce with sweet-roasted eggplant for the best texture and flavor.
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34
French Onion Orzo with Meatballs
This saucy French onion orzo meatball skillet dinner is loaded with jammy-sweet caramelized onions topped with melty Gruyère cheese for the ultimate comfort food dinner.
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35
Pasta with Tomato Pesto and Garlicky Breadcrumbs
This super delicious tomato pesto pasta with roasted tomato pesto, fresh mozzarella, basil, and garlicky breadcrumbs is so easy to make (especially if you make the pesto and breadcrumbs ahead of time).
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36
Pesto Pasta with Balsamic Chicken
This pesto pasta with balsamic chicken, quick-roasted cherry tomatoes, and spinach is full of bright and balanced flavors and makes for a stellar, satisfying dinner or potluck dish year-round.
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37
THE BEST Manicotti Recipe
This easy manicotti recipe is extra cheesy withs a vitamin boost from the addition of spinach for an extra delicious baked pasta dinner.
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38
Penne Pasta with Chicken, Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese
This penne pasta recipe features pan-seared chicken breast, caramelized onions, rosemary, and blue cheese for an easy and satisfying dinner that's easily adaptable and perfect for any time of year.
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39
Mini Meatball Mac and Cheese
This mini meatball mac and cheese combines two of my favorite comfort foods in one dish, is quick and easy to make, and will be a huge hit with the whole family.
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40
Pasta With Kale Pesto and Roasted Acorn Squash
This pasta dish is tossed with earthy kale pesto and sweet, caramelized roasted acorn squash, then topped with garlicky breadcrumbs for an irresistible crunch. Enjoy as a hearty, yet vegetarian fall main dish, or as a side.
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41
Chicken Marsala Gnocchi
This saucy chicken marsala gnocchi with mushrooms is a fun twist on everyone's favorite sweet and savory chicken marsala dinner.
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42
Roasted Mushroom Stroganoff
This mushroom stroganoff is hearty, creamy, and loaded with so much rich, savory flavor that dare I say this vegetarian version is so satisfying it rivals the original.
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43
Browned Butter Ravioli with Crispy Sage
This cheesy ravioli recipe with a nutty browned butter sauce and crispy sage is the ultimate fall comfort dish and is super simple, with just 5 ingredients!
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44
How to Make THE BEST Lasagna Recipe
This meaty lasagna recipe with ricotta, cottage cheese, and fresh mozzarella is made even easier thanks to the no-boil noodles, easily making this the best lasagna recipe.
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45
Shrimp Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
This creamy shrimp pasta in a sun-dried tomato and mascarpone sauce is rich and saucy, with big flavor that comes together fast and easy.
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If you make any of these recipes, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
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james Goacher
I like Pasta and reading through these various recipes I have verified a long held opinion the Pasta is very muck like Chips (English or American) in that it seems to go with anything.
I often say to myself “Think I shall have spme food and chips”.
Imagination seems to be the only limitation. Glad you have loads cos mine is limited so I am looking at something back there to use up some Prawns I have in the freezer.
Thank you.
Thank you James! And I’d 100% agree that pasta is the ultimate versatility!
Linda Swoveland
I’m the world’s worst when it comes to saving my pasta water. I dumped it out and had to cook extra pasta for the water. We’ll use that in one of your recipes later this week.
I’m so anxious to finish this dish. It’s almost 3:30pm and I haven’t eaten since breakfast.
I love everything in this recipe so I’m sure it’s going to be on our menu rotation.
I did mince half of the garlic, I love garlic and it was hard to discard 3 clove’s and I couldn’t bear to not leave 3 minced cloves in my sauce. I followed the rest of the recipe to the letter.
Linda Swoveland
I’m craving a good but lite pasta dish for dinner tonight. This recipe sounds exactly like what I’m looking for. So simple, with ingredients I have on hand most all of the time. I have some frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breast in my deep freezer. I can cook one to split with the hubby for a delicious, easy, quick Friday night dinner.
Kedibone Maleka
I really like this recipe
Patti
All these ideas look amazing. I’ve cooked some of them and they’re all delicious. We live pasta.
Sabrina
thank you for all of this pasta inspiration for when i can splurge on carbs, I’m tempted to just try a bunch in one day, starting with lobster mac and cheese!